Method of making ballast.



H. G. BUTLER.

METHOD OF MAKING BALLAST. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 22. 1916.

1,294,613. Patented Feb. 18; 1919.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

WITNESSES v A'TTORNEY H. e. BUTLER.

METHOD OF MAKING BALLAST. APPLKCATION FILED NOV. 22. 1915.

Patented Feb. 18, 1919..

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H. G. BUTLER.

METHOD OF MAKING BALLAST. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 22. 1916.

1,29%,613. 1 Patented Feb. 18; 1919'.

3 SHEETSSHEET 3-,

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HENRY G. BUTLER, OF HILLSBORO, 'rnxns.

METHOD OF MAKING BALLAST.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 18, 1919.

Application filed November 22, 1916. Serial No. 132,900.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY G. BUTLER, a citizen of the United States, residing at I-Iillsboro, in the county of Hill and State ternate layers of clay and coal to the face of a ballast pile, a dragging mechanism being employed to drag and break up the layer of earth after it had been burned, following which a layer of coal was applied to the dragged surface, after which the fresh layer of clay was applied to the freshly coaled surface.

With the method just described, there was great waste of fuel due to the dragging and opening of the fire thereby to the atmosphere.

Furthermore, the fuel was'not evenly distributed through the clay, which resulted in uneven burning of the clay, the formation of fines or pipes therein so as to concen-' trate the heat in certain places, thereby making clinkers, and the production of' a non-uniform unequally burned product. i

The object of my present invention is to provide an improved method of burning clay ballast, which will eliminate the necessity for dragging the ballast pile and with which the fuel will be evenly distributed and intermingled with the clay, thereby effecting ready and more perfect combustion of the fuel together with a great saving thereof and with the avoidance of the discharge from the ballast pile of destructive and noxious gases and soot carrying smoke.

With the elimination of the dragging operation, a further saving of time and labor is effected. With my improved method, a uniform and thoroughly burned product is economically obtained.

My invention provides further the employment of lignite as a fuel to be intermingled with the clay. With the use of lignlte as a fuel, the firing of the ballast pile may be easily effected at any time without the necessity of preliminarily starting the fire with wood or other combustible, such as is required when bituminous or other coal is employed for the purpose.

Furthermore, with the use of lignite as a fuel, the ballast fire, if put out by rain or otherwise, can be easily started again simply by igniting the lignite, and without requiring the use of wood as a starter.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate my invention,

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view showing a ballast pile, the adjacent ditch and track, and an excavating machine which may be employed to dig the clay and deposit it mixed with fuel upon the ballast pile.

Fig. 2 to Fig. 10 inclusive are vertical sectional views illustrating consecutively the different stages in the formation of a ballast pile in accordance with the principles of my invention.

Similar reference characters designate similar parts in the difierent views.

In carrying my invention into effect, a suitable site having been selected, a layer of fuel 1 is spread over the ground from which the clay is to be taken to form the ballast pile. For thereasons above stated, I prefer to employ lignite as a fuel. A track 2 is then laidupon this layer of, fuel for supporting cars which are to carry the apparatus for slacking or coaling and for excavating the clay to be burned.

An excavating car 3 on the track 2 is provided with suitable mechanism for operating an excavating shovel 4: w1th which the clay to be burned is dug from a ditch 5, alongside and'parallel with the track 2, and deposited upon the ballast pile.

In starting the ballast pile, after the layer of fuel 1 is spread upon the ground, the shovel 4: of the excavating car is used to dig the ditch 5, the clay and fuel thus dug being deposited at and in the distant side of the ditch to form the ballast pile 6, as is shown in Fig. 2.

A layer of fuel 7, Fig. 3 is then spread over the pile 6 and the bottom and adjacent side of the ditch 5.

The layer of lignite 7 is then ignited, and in burning it ignites the lignite which is mixed with the clay in the pile 6.

When the ballast pile has become well ignited, the shovel 4. is employed to excavate consecutively transverse layers 8, Fig. 4, comprising fuel and the underlying earth, and these layers are deposited by the shovel 4 in consecutive transverse layers 9, which extend from the bottom or toe of the ballast pile 6 over the face and top of the 'pile, as shown in Fig. 4.

The face of the ballast pile 6 and the ditch 5 are then covered with a layer of fuel 10, Fig. 5, after which a transverse layer 11, Fig. 6, of fuel and underlying earth, is dug out of the adjacent side of the ditch 5 and deposited in a transverse layer 12 on the face of the ballast pile extending from the toe thereof upwardly, as shown in Fig. 6. The adjacent side of the ditch is then covered with a layer of fuel 13, Fig. 6, after which another transverse layer 14 of fuel and underlying earth, Fig. 7 is dugout and deposited upon the face of the ballast pile 6 in a transverse layer 15, Fig. 7, above and lying against the layer 12. A layer of fuel 16, Fig. 7, is then spread over the adjacent side of the ditch 5, following which another transverse layer 17, Fig. 8, of fuel and underlying earth is dug from the adjacent side of the ditch 5' and deposited in a transverse layer 18 on the face of the ballast pile and above and against the layer15. The layer 18 may be made to form. shoulder 19 at the top of the pile. After the layers 12, 15 and 18 have become sufficiently burned, the shoulder 19 may be pnliea over the face of the pile 6, or it may be left to settle.

The ballast pile is built to the required height, after which accretions are made only to the face of the ballast pile". As the adjacent side of the ditch is dug away in the building of thepile, the track 2 may be moved away therefrom as conditions require.

By using the shovel excavator 4 for tale ing the earth from the adjacent side of the ditch, the layers of mixed earth and fuel can be applied narrow upwardly and downwardly extending transverse rows, thus permittin if desired, but a narrow portion of the ace of the ballast pile to beslacked ndeevere'd with fresh earth "at a time. By ap lying the mixed earth and fuel in suchn'a-rrow transverse rows extending upwardly and downwardly over the face of the pile, the excavating car can closely follow 'the'slaclier car, not shown, and can cover the deposited layers of fuel with fresh earth very soon after the fuel layers have been deposited, thereby avoiding loss of fuel due to its being burned exposed to the atmosp j By alternately" coalin'g and excavating the inner side of the ditch and depositing the mixed earth and fuel in transverse layers upon the face ofthe ballast pile, dragging of the face of the fire may be wholly dispensed with, and owing to the fuel being thoroughly mixed with the earth, the layers of earthen the face of the ballast pile may be three or more feet thick, whereas, under the old method, the limit of thickness of the layers of earth that could be successively ap plied, range from 14 to 20 inches. Furthermore, owing to the thorough intermingling of the fuel and earth, there is a moreuniform burning of the earth and a more uniform and better product is produced.

At times it is desirable, when the lower portion of the ballast pile is burning poorly, to coal the same and pull the toe of the face ofthe ballastpile. When this is done, a layer of fuel 20 may be applied tothe lower portion of the face of the ballast pile, as ind-ic'ated in Fig; 8, followin'g'which the shovel 4 is employed to pull the toe, that is to dig out the lower portion 21, Fig. 9, of the face of the ballast pile which has been coveredby the layer 20 the dugout portion being then dumped by the shovel into the place from which it was excavated. Fuel is thus intermingled with the poorly burning portion, thereby facilitating the proper burning of th'e cla-y at the lower part of the ballast pile.

A layer of fuel 22 is then appliedto the face of the ballast pile and to the bottom and inner side'of the ditch, as shown Fig. 10', after which the excavating of the fuel and underlying earth at the inner side of the ditch'and the} depositing of the excav ted material upon the face of the ballast ile is proceeded with in the manner alreay described.

Modifications of my invention within the scope of the appendedclaims be made without departing from its spirit.

1. Themethod of making ballast consisting in burning a pile comprising alternate layers of lignite" and mixed raw earth and lignite;

2. The method ofmakingkballast consisting in first spreading lignite' over the surface of the ground, then intermingling' the lign-ite with the earth next'thereunden'then forming a pile'of the mix'edearth and lignite, and then firing the pile.

3'. Themethod of making ballast consist ing in first spreading ligni'te over thesun face of the ground,- then intermin'gling the lignite with the earth neirt thereunder, then forming a pile of the mixed earth and lignite, then applying to the surface of the pile a layer of lignite, and then lighting the said layer.

4. Themethod of making ballast consisting in "forming a pile of mixed earth and lignite, thenapplyingto' the surface of the pile a layer of lignite, their lighting. the lignite, and then applying upon the burning layer of lignit'e' a layer of earth mixed with fuel.

The method of making ballast consisting in spreading lignite over the surface of the ground, then intermingling the lignite with the earth next thereunder, then formmg a pile of the mixed earth and lignite, then applying to the surface of the pile a layer of lignite, then lighting the lignite, and then applying to the burning layer of lignite a layer of mixed earth and lignite.

6. The method of maln'ng ballast consisting in spreading fuel over both sides of a ditch, one side of which is the face of a burning ballast pile, then removing the fuel together with underlying earth from the side oppositethe ballast pile and depositing the mixed earth and fuel upon the fuel covered face of the ballast pile.

7 The method of making ballast consisting in spreading fuel over both sides of a ditch, one side of which is the face of a burning ballast pile, then removing the fuel together with underlying earth from the side opposite the ballast pile, then depositing the mixed earth and fuel upon the fuel covered face of the ballast pile and permitting the mixture to burn, then recovering the face of the ballast pile and the other side of the ditch with fuel, and then removing the fuel together with underlying earth from the side of the ditch opposite the ballast pile and depositing the mixture thus removed upon the face of the ballast pile.

8. The method of making ballast consisting in removing consecutive layers of earth from one side of a ditch and depositing the layers so removed upon the face of a burning ballast pile, which face comprises the other side 0 the ditch, covering the face of the ballast pile with fuel prior to the depositing thereon of said layers of earth, and covering with fuel each of said layers of earth prior to its removal from the ditch.

9. The method of making ballast consisting in spreading fuel over both sides of a ditch, one side of which is the face of a burning ballast pile, then removing consecutive layers of earth from the other side of the ditch and depositing such layers upon the fuel covered base of the ballast pile, covering said layers prior to their removal with fuel and permitting said layers of mixed earth and fuel to 'burn through to the surface, then recovering the face of the ballast pile and the other side of the ditch with fuel, then pulling the toe of the face of the ballast pile and redepositing in the place from which it was taken the material thus pulled, and then removing the fuel and underlying earth from the other side of the ditch and depositing the mixture thus removed upon the face of the ballast pile.

10. The method of making ballast consisting of spreading fuel over both sides of a ditch, one side of which is the face of a burning ballast pile, then removing consecutively two layers of earth covered with fuel from the side of the ditch opposite the face of the ballast pile and depositing said layers one above the other over the face of the ballast pile, and then removing another layer of earth covered with fuel from the side of the ditch opposite the ballast pile and depositing the last layer upon the face of the ballast pile above and resting upon the upper of the first two layers.

11. The method of making ballast consistmg in removing consecutive layers of earth covered with fuel from one side of a ditch and depositing them upon the face of a burning ballast pile which forms the other side of the ditch, covering the face of the ballast pile with fuel prior to the depositing thereon of said layers, covering with fuel each of said layers prior to its removal from the ditch, one of said layers being formed into a shoulder at the top of the ballast pile, permitting the layers thus deposited to burn through, then cOVering with fuel the toe of the ballast pile, then pulling the toe of the face of the ballast pile, and then repeating the preceding steps in the order named.

12. The method of making ballast consisting' in spreading fuel over both sides of a ditch, one side of which is the face of a burning ballast pile, then consecutively removing transverse layers of earth so covered with fuel from the side of the ditch opposite to the face of the ballast pile, and depositing such removed layers of mixed earth and fuel in transverse rows extending from the bottom of the ditch upwardly over the face of the ballast pile.

13. The method of making ballast consisting in spreading fuel over both sides of a ditch, one side of which is the face of a. burning ballast pile, then removing the fuel and underlying earth from the side of the ditch opposite the ballast pile and depositing the mixed fuel and earth-upon the face of the ballast pile in a layer extending from the bottom of the ditch to a point below the top of the ballast pile, then spreading a layer of fuel over the side of the ditch oposite the ballast pile, then removing the ast named layer with underlying earth and depositing the same above the layer which had just been deposited upon the face of the ballast pile, then spreading another layer of fuel upon the side of the ditch op.- posite the ballast pile, then removing the last named layer with underlying earth and depositing the same upon the face of the ballast pile in a layer which rests against the upper of the two layers of mixed earth and fuel just previously deposited upon the face of the ballast pile.

14. The method of making ballast consisting in spreading fuel over both sides of a ditch, one side of which is the face of a burning ballast pile, then removing the fuel with underlying earth from the side of the ditch opposite the ballast pile and depositing the same upon the face of the ballast pile and forming a shoulder at the top thereof, permitting the material so deposited to burn through, and then repeating the cycle of operations just described.

15. The method of making ballast consisting in spreading fuel over both sides of a ditch, one side" of which is the face of a burning balla'st pile, then removing the fuel so spread with underlying earth from the side of the ditch opposite the ballast pile and depositing the mixed fuel and earth upon the face of the ballast pile in a layer.

extending from the bottom of the ditch to a point below the top of the ballast pile, thens'preading a layer of fuel over the side of the ditch opposite the ballast pile and depositing the same with underlying earth in a layer above the layer which has just been depositedupon the face of the ballast pile, then spreading another layer of fuel upon the side of the ditch opposite the ballast pile, then removing the last named layer With underlying earth and depositing the same upon the face of the ballast pile above the two layers just previously deposited thereon and forming a shoulder at the top of the ballast pile with the layer last deposited, permitting the three layers thus deposited to burn throi igh and then repeating the cycle of operations j'u'st described.

16. The method of making ballast consisting in spreading fuel over one side of a ditch, the other side of which is the face of a burning bali astpile, and then removing said fuel'anduaderlying earth and depositing the same in transverse layer upon the face of the ballast pile p 17. The method ofmaki egballast consisting in spreading fuel over one side of a ditch, the other side of which is the face of a burning ballast pile, then consecutively removing tran sverse layers of earth so covered with fuel, depositing such removed layers of mixed earth and fuel in transverse rows extending side by side upon the'face of the ballast pile.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

HENRY G. BUTLER.

copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents e'ah; by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D; G. 

